Device for cleaning, scouring, and cooling grain.



UNITED STATES Patented December 8, 1903.

PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK W. HESS, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

DEVICE FOR CLEANING, SCOURING, ANDlC-OOLING GRAIN.

L SPECIFICATION forming'- part of Letters Patent No. 746,508, dated December 8, 1903.

Application filed Mayu, 1,903. seria No. 156,715. uio mtal.)

To all w'hom concern,.-

Beit known that I, FRANK W. Huss, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago,

I in the county of Cook and State of Illinois,

haveV invented certain newQanduseful Improvements in Devices Afor Cleaning, Scour-` ing, and Cooling Grain; and .I doherebydeclare `the, following to bea full, clear, and ,eX-

act description of the invention, such as will I enable others skilled in the artto which` it appertains tomake and usethe same.

My invent-ion relates to a novelfconstruction in a spout for cleaning, scouring, and cooling grain, the object being to, pr,ovide a simple and efficient device of thisch-aracter; and it consists inthe features of construetion and combinationsof partszhereinafter fully described and` claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, illustrating my invention, Figure l is a side elevation of a grain-spout for cleaning, scouring, and cooling grain constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section of same. Fig. 3 is a transverse section on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2. Figs. 4 and 5 are detail sections showing modified forms of walls for the spout.

My said device consists of atrough or spout A, adapted to be connected with the outlet end of the bin or hopper of an elevator !to conduct the grain to a car or vessel for shipment, said spout or trough being preferably of considerable length. The said spout is rectangular in cross-section, its four walls B being composed of wire-cloth of a mesh sufficiently small to prevent passage of the grain therethrough, but made of heavy wire, so as to present a very rough surface to the grain. For certain kinds of grain I prefer to have said wire-cloth made of a heavy square wire, so as to present sharp cutting edges to the grain to scour the same. The mesh and character of the wire-cloth must also be varied according to the character of the grain handled.v

sisting of two plates D and E of Wire-cloth,

the plate D being of small mesh to prevent passage of the grain therethrough and the plate E of very large mesh, so as to permit the grainl to readily pass therethrough, said plat-e D being arranged to lie with its upper edge in contact with the bottom wall of the spout A, and said plate E occupying the space between the lower edge ofrsaid plate D and the upper wall.of;.the spout. `In said u pper wall of lsaid spout A above the lower ends of said plates E, I provide openings controlled vby gates-F, through which straw, sticks, and

forations in the plates E is continually re volved and agitated, such agitation serving to expel the dust and chaff, while the frictional contact with the rough surfaces thoroughly scours thegrain. All rubbish contained in the grain -is caught by the plates E and is readily removed. By Areason of the ready accessof air to the spout the grain is also thoroughly cooled in passing therethrough. To further expel dust and chaff, a blower or suctionfan may be provided to produce a strong blast of air through the spout, such blower or suction-fan being connected with said spout in any suitable manner. In order to prevent any grain from passing through said spout without being thoroughly scoured, screens Gr of small mesh may be alternated with the plates D, such screens extending from the top wall of the spout to about the middle thereof and set at an opposite incline to the plates D, as indicated in dotted lines in Figs. l and 2. The scouring action may be further increased by corrugating the side walls of the spout, as shown in Fig. 5, or providing short inclined screens H extending inwardly from said side walls, as shownin Fig. 4.

My said deviceis very efficient in its operation and is exceedingly economical, inasmuch as it requires no power or labor, as do the grain-cleaning machines generally in use.

IOO

I claim as my invention- 1. A grain-spout having walls of wire-cloth a plurality of downwardly-inclined screens of wire-cloth interposed in said spout at intervals and extending from'the lower wall of same to a point adjacent the middle of the spout, and downwardly-inclined screens of large mesh interposed between the lower ends of said first-named screens and the upper wall of the spout, substantially as described.

2. A grain-spout having walls of wire-cloth, a plurality of downwardly-inclined screens of wire-cloth interposed in said spout at intervals and extending from the lower wall of same to a point adjacent the middle of the spout, and screens of large mesh interposed between the lower ends of said first-named screens and the opposite Wall of the spout, and doors in said last-named wall above each of said last-named screens, substantially as described.

3. A grain-spout having walls of wire-cloth, inclined slots in theside walls thereof, and

' screens interposed and supported in said Y contained in the grain, substantially as described.

4. A grain-spouthaving walls of wire-cloth, inclined slots in the side walls thereof, and screens interposed and supported in said slots and extending from the upper to the lower walls thereof, the upper portion of said screens being of a mesh fine'enough to prevent the passage of the grain therethrough and the lower portion of same being of a mesh large enough to permit the passage of the grain but not the straw and other rubbish contained in the grain, substantially as described, and doors in one wall of said spout adjacent said screen.

5. A grain-spout having walls of wire-cloth, the side walls of said spout being corrugated, inclined screens of Wire-cloth interposed in said spout of a mesh fine enough to prevent the grain passing therethrough and each ex# tending from one wall thereof to a point adjacent the middle of said spout, and devices in said spoilt adapted to catch straw and other rubbish without hindering the passage of the gram. y

6. A grain-spout having walls of wire-cloth of a mesh smaller than the grain,downwardly inclined screens` of similar mesh interposed in said spout and each extending from the lower wall thereof downwardly to a point adjacent the upper wall, aud screens of a mesh coarse enough to permit the passage of the grain, interposed in the passages between the last-named wall and the lower ends of said screens adapted to catch and retain straw and other rubbish contained in said grain.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

FRANK W. HESS.v

Witnesses: Y

RUDOLPH WM. Lorz, E. F. WILSON. 

